Faculty Research and Publications

A Practitioner's Guide to Best Practices in Data Visualization

Michael Fry, Jeffrey Shaffer

Abstract

Data visualization is the process of visualizing data through tables, charts, graphs, maps, and other visual aids. Data visualization is often thought of as a descriptive tool, but it is also important for use in predictive and prescriptive analytics. It serves as a tool for descriptive data exploration, but also for communicating insights from data and from analytical models. In this tutorial, we provide a concise discussion of best practices for data visualization for effective communication.